Aboriginal settlement joins heritage register

The first government-run Aboriginal settlement in Queensland has been added to the state's heritage register.

The Queensland Heritage Council (QHC) says the former Taroom Aboriginal settlement in the state's southern inland has significant archaeological potential.

QHC spokesman Professor Peter Coaldrake says the land has a special place in history.

"Its significance really was that it was the very first settlement which was run by the Queensland Government," he said.

"Up until that point Aboriginal settlements had tended to be run by the missionary operations of the various churches, so this was different.

"It involved direct government control and really was the first of its sort."

Although the settlement has been dismantled, Professor Coaldrake says it is important the land is preserved.

"It's largely seen in terms of its potential if archaeologically explored, as it were, to reveal the layout of the settlement, the nature of farming, Aboriginal camps, artefacts that might be located there and so on," he said.

"Those are I think the matters that are seen to be of archaeological potential."